|
Post by majorjoe23 on Apr 16, 2021 7:31:02 GMT -5
I do feel like this was the film choice that most screamed “pushed by Netflix.” But at the same time, I do think Atlantic Rim was closer in spirit to the Roger Corman school of “Crank out a fast and cheap version of something new and popular” than it is to something like Sharknado.
I’m going to rewatch it in a week or so, I’ll be curious how the riffing holds up. I did like their Graham Green impersonations.
|
|
|
Post by slainmonkey on Apr 16, 2021 9:02:36 GMT -5
Even then, most old Corman productions felt like they had more effort, usually hampered by absurdly tight production restrictions, lack of talent, or both. What makes movies Atlantic Rim and many other Asylum movies such a chore, is the fact the film making itself feels far more cynical of the audience. The many of the best MST3K’s best riffs seem to be of movies that are more endearingly bad, Atlantic Rim was just empty!
|
|
|
Post by BoB3K on Apr 16, 2021 10:15:41 GMT -5
Riffing an Asylum movie is all the proof you need that 'people that don't get it' were in charge of Season 12. I agree slainmonkey, there are many Coreman movies that I think are just fine movies that I enjoy, even with the tight budget and minimal talent -- Bucket of Blood, The Last Woman on Earth, War of the Satellites, many of his MST3K movies like It Conquered the World. The original Little Shop of Horrors is a pretty nice little horror movie with elements of black comedy.
Although, you notice I'm naming all old movies. Really, a movie fit for riffing has to have some breathing room, space to fill with riffs and commentary. You get a movie like Atlantic Rim, and it's trying to ape a modern action movie, and then be funny, cynical and meta on top of it and there's really no room for riffing.
|
|
|
Post by comedyc on Apr 16, 2021 12:04:32 GMT -5
Atlantic Rim is easily the worst episode of the entire series. No joy to be found watching a film whose only reason for existence was to be a product, something that could be sold to unsuspecting Pacific Rim fans. It's not a parody, just a no-effort rip-off. It feels like it was made by a scam artist. At least the McDonald's commercial Mac and Me has a heart, it's a real movie. Atlantic Rim, on the other hand, is an assemblage of footage that makes you appreciate the artistic vision of Monster A-Go Go. Not that Atlantic Rim is hard to watch. It's not. It's just not worth watching. In that respect, it's easily the most diabolical and evil experiment ever foisted upon the SOL crew. I'm amazed it wasn't just 70 minutes of staring at the "movie" waiting for it to be over in stunned silence. Yep, the Mads could take over the world with this one. Which is the point of the show's plot, but makes for un-enjoyable viewing. I need the "bad" movie to be fun at least. Some level of earnestness always helps the proceedings, too. This thing is going to be my companion through multiple viewings. Atlantic Rim is the last movie I'd want to be stuck in the submarine with. (but we're not here to discuss The Land That Time Forgot ) Good host segments, though. Even the worst MST3K has some good elements in it.
|
|
|
Post by slainmonkey on Apr 16, 2021 12:30:33 GMT -5
Riffing an Asylum movie is all the proof you need that 'people that don't get it' were in charge of Season 12. I agree slainmonkey, there are many Coreman movies that I think are just fine movies that I enjoy, even with the tight budget and minimal talent -- Bucket of Blood, The Last Woman on Earth, War of the Satellites, many of his MST3K movies like It Conquered the World. The original Little Shop of Horrors is a pretty nice little horror movie with elements of black comedy. Although, you notice I'm naming all old movies. Really, a movie fit for riffing has to have some breathing room, space to fill with riffs and commentary. You get a movie like Atlantic Rim, and it's trying to ape a modern action movie, and then be funny, cynical and meta on top of it and there's really no room for riffing. There are also a bunch of Corman productions that were very enjoyable, like his Poe adaptations with Vincent Prince, and even some of the one he did direct, like a later (and by later I mean 1986) Corman production that I find a ton of fun is Chopping Mall. Corman movies (particularly in decades past) have far more legitimate entertainment value than anything Asylum makes. Hell that’s even proved by the very next episode was Lords of the Deep, that’s got a goofy ineptitude, but you could see there were actually people legitimately trying their hardest, which was evident by some surprisingly well done model effects for the underwater scenes!
|
|
|
Post by Diet Kolos on Apr 16, 2021 12:37:56 GMT -5
Atlantic Rim was the point of Season 12 where I firmly realized that it was going to be a slog to the end of the season.
I still don't think it's the worst episode of the Revival series. I still firmly believe that to be 1108-Loves of Hercules, a movie that actually had potential because it was a decent movie choice but they totally peed it down their legs with what I consider to be probably the laziest riffing of any modern episode.
THIS was just a bad movie choice coupled with mediocre riffing. Amongst 5 other episodes that had decent-to-good movie choices with equally mediocre riffing.
|
|
|
Post by Megalon on Apr 17, 2021 10:17:32 GMT -5
I still haven't finished this episode, and I have no interest in finishing it. I don't know if that makes it the worst MST3k episode of all time, but it's certainly the one I actively dislike the most.
Part of the problem is that the movie is just so non-stop in-your-face. There's no breathing room. It doesn't help that the riffing is on the same volume level as the movie. You can barely hear the riffs over the non-stop action and explosions. It's mind-numbing.
|
|
|
Post by monkeypretzel on Apr 17, 2021 12:04:14 GMT -5
I watched the episodes out of order from Season 12. I'm glad for that, because had I seen this one second instead of fifth, I never would have watched the later ones. This is the episode that made me Nope out of the revival permanently, it's so bad. Not only being an "undeserving" movie (I don't care for the RiffTrax Sharknado riffs either), but because the jokes were so lackluster and the attitude of the entire episode was meta-cynicism, like "Can you believe we're doing this movie? And can you believe you're watching this?" I never before felt like MST3K was laughing AT its audience, instead of laughing WITH, but I here I did.
|
|
|
Post by comedyc on Apr 18, 2021 15:02:55 GMT -5
Atlantic Rim was the point of Season 12 where I firmly realized that it was going to be a slog to the end of the season. I still don't think it's the worst episode of the Revival series. I still firmly believe that to be 1108-Loves of Hercules, a movie that actually had potential because it was a decent movie choice but they totally peed it down their legs with what I consider to be probably the laziest riffing of any modern episode. THIS was just a bad movie choice coupled with mediocre riffing. Amongst 5 other episodes that had decent-to-good movie choices with equally mediocre riffing. Yeah, the nonsense Eddie Vedder riffs in that one didn't help, either. Did they have think Herc looked like Vedder? That's a stretch....
|
|
|
Post by dudehitscar on Apr 19, 2021 20:15:58 GMT -5
I have watched this with my local MST3K diehard group and a room full of casuals/nonfans. It slayed both times. Episode is awesome.. not the best of The Gauntlet but a new classic.
but hey what do I know.. I think Loves of Hercules is one of the reboot's best and I love the eddie vedder riffs.
|
|
|
Post by slainmonkey on Apr 19, 2021 20:38:51 GMT -5
Atlantic Rim was a serious contender for my last favourite episode MST3K has ever done. I think the thing that made it worse too was that it was in an episode in a season that was only 6 episodes, in a season that was already significantly weaker then the one before it. I mean another episode I have a lot of issues with was Killer Fish, where the cinema segments were so overstuffed with gimmicks that it undermined the riffs that actually were good. Atlantic Rim though, I doubt I got a single laugh in the entire episode!
|
|
|
Post by Diet Kolos on Apr 19, 2021 20:43:33 GMT -5
Oh criminy, Killer Fish. A movie so edited down its barely coherent. And what isn't edited down is probably being sung over with full orchestration.
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Jack on Apr 19, 2021 20:45:46 GMT -5
but hey what do I know.. I think Loves of Hercules is one of the reboot's best and I love the eddie vedder riffs. I'm with you, among the reboot eps, The Loves of Hercules is a top 5 episode. I haven't watched A.R. since 2018, but my comment back then was of the "it's fine, both movie and riffing" variety. I'm going through seasons 11 and 12 again, so I'll see if I'm still okay with it, but Herc... *chefs kiss*
|
|
|
Post by slainmonkey on Apr 19, 2021 22:05:36 GMT -5
I mean the tastes in these things are bound to vary, but I know my feelings on this episode were very strong......which in this case isn’t a good thing!
|
|
|
Post by said43 on Apr 19, 2021 22:58:58 GMT -5
TBH I stopped watching this one. I prefer movies that aren't intentionally bad. The ones that lack any self-awareness whatsoever are the gems.
|
|